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Air Magic
Air Magic Air Magic is a subschool of Elemental Magic. As the name implies, it involves the invocation of Air spirits to produce air and wind-based effects. Beginning effects produce gusts of wind and steady currents that will aid in naval transport (a use that endears them to smart ship captains), but the more experienced casters can produce increasingly spectacular - and dangerous - effects. Of all Air Mages, the elven warlord Kazwyn and his core group of Elementalists were the most famous, and were fond of using powerful Air Magic to simply flatten enemy fortifications and fling opponents miles away. 'Air Magic Mechanics' The Air Magic advantage costs 4 AP per rank, as it is of Low Utility, and useable in Short, Medium, and Long Range in combat. Rank I: A mage with one rank of Air Magic has mastered the basics of calling upon air spirits, and can do things like call up a gust of wind to fling loose debris at an opponent, push an arrow volley off course, or produce steady stream of air to move a sailing ship faster. The invocation likely requires some time and concentration, making it necessary to get one's timing correct in battle... Rank II: A mage with two ranks of Air Magic is now more or less a professional Air Mage, capable of forceful blasts of air to buffet foes and more tightly controlled streams of air to push ships faster or clear smoke or fumes from an area. Calling upon air spirits requires shorter, more compact invocations that are more likely to work in combat or other adverse conditions. Rank III: A mage with three ranks of Air Magic is now a force to be reckoned with, capable of justifying controlled air streams capable of fine (if clumsy) object manipulation and deflecting heavier projectiles than bolts and arrows. Such a mage may be able to blast a foe completely clear of a battlefield, and can likely perform feats of air magic with a short word or two and a simple gesture. Rank IV: A mage with four ranks of Air Magic has truly mastered the elemental forces of air. Wind moves more or less at their command, with little trouble or argument and little need for arcane phrases or complex choreography. Such a mage can begin to manipulate local weather patterns, and in conjunction with other powerful Air Mages might be able to summon horrific, devastating windstorms. Rank V+: A mage with five or more ranks of Air Magic almost certainly either has used principles gleaned from other elemental disciplines to reach this point or else has spiritual assistance from an outside source, such as godhood. Either way, combat against such a mage will be an uphill battle against winds that can flatten non-fortified structures, strip vegetation from the land, and hurl heavy objects with the effectiveness of siege weaponry. 'Common Air Magic Spells' While every Air Mage has his or her own style and probably a few custom spells (and of course Elemental Mages tend to make up spells on the spot), the following are all common-use variants on spells for air manipulation and are available to anyone with the Air Magic advantage. *Gust - Causes wind to blow in a direction chosen by the caster. Casters with more ability can produce faster, more tightly focused gusts. *Xeno's Paradox - A spell useful for trying to push incoming arrows off course. A great deal of practice is necessary before this form of defense becomes prefereable to dodging or taking cover. *Clear Air - A spell to wrap a bubble of clean air around the caster to keep out airborne poisons and other contaminants. *Trade Winds - A very useful application of Air Magic, in the Age of Sail that most of the world finds itself in. This spell summons a steady wind to propel ships, preventing them from ever being becalmed and reducing trip times. *Vortex - A twist on the Gust spell, this causes winds to circulate around a focal point, lifting whatever is inside up off the ground and 'carrying' it. A caster cannot be the target of their own Vortex, and control over other objects, even for experienced Air Mages, is quite clumsy. *Buffet - Another twist on the Gust spell, winds are drawn down from above and push out from the caster, hindering an opponent's ability to get close. *Obscuring Mist/Debris - Blasts the area with wind in a way designed to kick up dust, mist, or other sight-obscuring particles and fill the air with them. 'Rare Air Magic Spells' The following spells are sometimes known to Air Mages, but are not included by default and require a separate advantage. *Void Air - The opposite of Clear Air, but much harder to perform due to having to fight the ambient air pressure, this spell removes all of the air from around a nearby target, choking and decompressing it. *Ball Lightning - While most attempts to harness actual lightning have resulted in failure (and the rest in the death of the caster), Air Spirits can be convinced in some cases to let off excess energy in spectacular and dangerous fashion. The result is Ball Lightning, a rare and dangerous spell to everyone involved in any combat it appears in. *Updraft - While only a very clumsy flight at best, a specialized attempt at Air Magic can produce an effect capable of dramatically lifting the caster off the ground. It is rumored that development of this spell was largely responsible for the shift in Elemental Mage attire to trousers, and away from skirts and robes... *Touch of Many - One of the few information-gathering spells in the entire school of Elemental Magic, the Touch of Many allows the caster to perceive his or her surroundings as the local Air Spirits do, aiding greatly in finding hidden foes or secret areas. *Windstorm - Another specialized spell, the purpose of a Windstorm is to ground flying opponents.